|
A hens or bucks night celebrates a bride or groom's last days of being single.
There are some traditions associated with both bucks and hens nights.
The first and most obvious is that they are single sex affairs - all
boys for the bucks night and the bride and her female friends celebrate
their hens night separately.
A tradition for the bucks night is to smash the glasses after toasting
the bride. A more recent and well-known tradition for a bucks night is
to celebrate with a night of wild drinking and practical joking - but
of course there are alternatives to this.
Hens are supposed to observe the tradition of making a cake with pink
icing containing a ring. The hen who cuts the slice containing the ring
is the next to get married.
Hens nights are a more recent phenomenon, which probably evolved to
equal the boys night out. Girls also want to celebrate with their
friends on a special night out.
These days the hens night has largely replaced the kitchen tea, where
the bride received presents to stock her new kitchen. Now hens often
celebrate with a night of wild abandon and naughty fun with the bride's
best friends.
The chief bridesmaid and the best man are traditionally responsible for
arranging the night out and choosing the venue. Costs are usually
shared between the guests.
You should always leave your car at home and put aside enough money for
a taxi home if necessary. You can also hire a car and a driver or a bus
for big parties - especially if you want to start off with drinks at
one place and move on to dinner somewhere else. Or do it in style with
a limousine or bus with chauffeur and sip champagne in the back as you
are whisked away for the night.
There are companies who run package tours especially for bucks and hens
nights, driving the group to the venues of their choice or to specially
arranged venues catering for pre-wedding parties.
The girls might take in a show at a theatre restaurant or go to a
disco, a nightclub or a dance club or your favourite pub or indeed take
in those raunchy, muscle-bound men on a harbour cruise. Some theatre
companies cater especially for hens nights, offering a free night out
for the bride as part of the package.
Think about taking a gentle river cruise and dinner. Or, make a weekend
out of it in the Blue Mountains or Southern Highlands, staying at a
grand hotel or a peaceful guesthouse. There are wine-tasting weekends
in the Hunter Valley - a more leisurely and relaxing way of stretching
out those last days of total independence. Choose a nice place to stay
as a base for your wine-tasting tour. Again, take turns with the
driving or organise a bus tour.
Get the girls together for a day or evening of pampering. Arrange an
appointment with a team of masseurs who can visit you in your home or
hotel room, and relax under the hands of qualified therapists. If you
would prefer to update your makeup skills, book a beautician and get
her to show you the latest beauty techniques.
For some good, clean, healthy fun, try a health farm. Or your last
taste of freedom could include adventure - taking those last risks
before settling down to certainty. Try abseiling or canyoning or rock
climbing. Satisfy your need for speed with go-karting, or float
peacefully in a hot air balloon over the countryside.
For something really different, try a tussle at skirmish, with the bride's team competing against the groom's men.
For the groom's friends, a cricket or a golf day or action packed
go-kart racing can be more memorable than a night out drinking.
Whatever you decide for your last taste of the single life, don't have
a wild night out the actual night before you get married. Bucks nights
are full of little surprises and the groom doesn't want to find himself
stranded miles from home on his wedding morning.
And brides want to look and feel their best on the biggest day of their life.
Related articles:
|
Featured Reception Venue
